By Emily Grumbling
On July 4th, 2011 Syma Qatanani found herself in a common summer conundrum: invited to a holiday cookout, searching for something to bring for the grill. She already had kafta— a seasoned ground meat traditionally prepared as meatballs, with variations throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, South Asia, and the Middle East. She thoughtfully pulled in a few other choice ingredients, fashioning patties around a garlicky cream cheese core, and her legendary Kafta Burger was born.